1. Field
This application relates to the attaching of structural and accessory members to each other. Specifically for attaching a member to beams, structural angles, or other structural configurations that have a flange.
2. Prior Art
Clamps are often used to attach or hang a variety of hardware items from structural members such as I-beams, T-bars, steel trusses and other structural shapes inside building and structures.
Often strut channels attached to I-beams and other structures with a flange are used to support a number of different items such as pipes, lighting fixtures, heating fixtures, cables, conduit, duct and struts. The items are then attached to the strut channels using an appropriate means of clamping or attaching. Clamps are often used as hangers for supporting and attaching a variety of items such as pipes, electrical devices, lighting equipment, heating fixtures, cables, conduit, duct, channel struts, for example, from a variety of structural members such as I-beams, T-bars, steel trusses and other structural shapes that include two juxtaposed edges. This system of attachment of common hardware and methods used for supporting hardware within building structures are based on strut channels that were developed in the 1920's with only small advancements. The basic strut channel has not changed.
The strut channels are attached to structures at a right angle to the edge of the flange of the structure member or in line with the direction, which the structure runs. Struts are normally attached to beams using two sets of u-bolts, one set on each side of the I-beam flange with a bent plate with two holes that the threaded ends of a u-bolt pass positioned on the opposite side of the beam flange that contain the strut channel to the outer side of the flange of the beam. Struts are also attached using a bent plate that has a rectangular opening for the strut to pass through on an outside surface of the beam with a bent portion with a threaded hole for a bolt to be tightened against the inside portion of the beam flange to pull the strut against the I-beam. This type of clamp has a greater tendency to twist, pivoting about the bolt that carries the load. Both of these methods for attaching the struts to the I-beam depend entirely on the strength of the threaded fasteners to provide both the clamping force and bear the weight of the load.
One version of my invention uses one bolt to pull a wedge into a passage in the body of the clamp body and has a member passage that allows members including, struts and pipes, to pass. A second version clamps two flat objects together. A third version provides for a hanger rod or bolt to support loads. The fourth utility is a means for quickly hanging hardware using standard hanger strapping. Most of the forces for holding the member in place against the outer flange are accomplished by the clamp instead of by the bolt that pulls the wedge into the body. The wedge is also used to integrate the clamping function into other metal boxes or cabinets such as the enclosures for many fan or light fixtures.
My invention provides advantages during installation where the hardware is much easier to install than any existing method. C-clamp style of clamps are tightened from the side of the flange opposite the load being held. This often limits access to the head of the bolt, which is often in a hard to access location between flanges of a beam or on top portion of the structure. Tightening the wedge clamp is done from the side making it easier to access from a lower height.
Another advantage of my invention is that since the load is not supported directly on the end of a bolt there is no tendency for the clamp to loosen over time as c-clamp style clamp may. The bolt on a c-clamp can over time twist and loosen and can penetrate the flange where the forces are all concentrated through the end of the bolt. The bolt on the wedge clamp on the other hand does not directly support the load, instead it holds a wedge in the body of the clamp in a way that there are no forces on the bolt over time that cause it to twist thus loosening.
My invention allows for a number of functions to be accomplished not currently feasible. Strut channels, pipes, conduits, boards and other members can be attached in line or at a non perpendicular angle in relation to the structures being joined, particularly in the center of the outside of an I-beam flange without drilling holes or welding. This is accomplished by using a cross bar or adapter channel that uses the same clamp described above to securely hold members to the I-beam or other structure that has a flange. Different shapes of members can be attached using an accessory in conjunction with the clamp apparatus. These accessories include; cross member, adapter, shield, insulation and protective padding materials. The accessories can allow attachment of sensitive materials in either direction and to allow for movement such as is caused by expansion and contraction resulting from changes in temperature.
Another advantage of this invention is that it allows supported members to attach to a wide range of sizes and shapes of I-beams and other configurations for each size of clamp. Within a range of widths and thicknesses of a beam or other configurations, the same size clamp can be used
The wedge clamp can be used as an alternative to c-clamps to secure objects together when a wide range of adjustment is not needed such as making many attachments each within a half inch of the same overall thickness of objects being clamped together.
Spacers can be used with the wedge clamp assembly to fill up the space within the clamping area to use a particular size combination of wedge and body to clamp a thinner cross-section of material.
Manufacturing of this style of clamp when made from steel plate is easier to tool up than a c-clamp style of clamp since there is no threading required in the manufacturing process.
The configuration of the above described wedge has a major advantage over typical wedges. A single wedge by itself has no means to stabilize if the load is not applied directly between surfaces being acted on while my invention has a tab extending past the sloping surface that allows the fastener forcing the wedge through the opening to also force the tip of the wedge toward the object being clamped even if the forces are not in line. This is accomplished by creating a lever action pivoting the wedge about the point of contact between the sloped portion of the wedge and the clamp body or other body that it passes.
The wedge used in the wedge clamp is an innovation by itself. Typically wedges are forced between contact surfaces causing the surfaces to separate. This works well if there is a balanced load or surface area on each side but if there is one contact line opposing a surface and the contact line is not directly across from the flat surface then the wedge will usually twist and not make good contact on the flat surface. My wedge has an offset tab with a hole for a fastener that creates both a wedge action and a lever action. When the fastener pulls the wedge into the area between the contact line and the flat surface a pivoting of the wedge at the point where the sloping surface of the wedge and the contact line is created thus keeping the tip of the wedge and the flat surface in full contact. One benefit of this is it allows the wedge to be used in boxes with opening for the wedge to pass, such as that of a heater or fan installed into a wall through cut opening to be used to secure the box by a flange being held against the face of the flat surface and a wedge being inserted from inside the box to a opening directly behind the flat surface. There is a lot of flexibility in where the wedges can be used.